Causes of Acute Respiratory Failure
| Type 1 Respiratory Failure | Type 2 Respiratory Failure |
|---|---|
| Pneumonia | Reduced central respiratory drive |
| Pulmonary embolism | Sedative drugs, for example opiates/opioids, benzodiazepines, alcohol |
| Acute exacerbation of COPD | Head trauma |
| Acute exacerbation of asthma | Space-occupying CNS lesion |
| Pulmonary fibrotic lung disease | Cerebrovascular accident |
| Pulmonary oedema (heart failure) | Neuromuscular and thoracic wall disease |
| Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) | Cervical cord lesion |
| Pneumothorax | Guillain-Barré syndrome |
| Myasthenia gravis | |
| Poliomyelitis | |
| Diaphragmatic paralysis | |
| Flail chest | |
| Chest wall deformity (acute on chronic) | |
| Respiratory disease | |
| Acute upper airway obstruction (foreign body or reduced conscious level) | |
| Acute exacerbation of COPD | |
| Severe life-threatening asthma | |
| Pneumothorax | |
| Factors that can worsen respiratory failure of any cause | |
| Sedative drugs: benzodiazepines, opioids | |
| Aspiration of secretions or gastric contents | |
| Respiratory muscle fatigue | |
| Low cardiac output | |
| Severe obesity | |
| Chest wall abnormality, for example kyphoscoliosis | |
| Large pleural effusion | |
| Pneumothorax | |